[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 21, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FEAST OF SAINT SEBASTIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 21, 2021

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
today to join the Saint Sebastian Church, its membership and the 
community of Middletown, Connecticut as they celebrate the 100th 
Anniversary of the Feast of Saint Sebastian--a celebration of ethnic 
pride and culture that has grown to become a treasured community 
tradition.
  The first immigrants from Melilli, Sicily arrived in the City of 
Middletown in 1895. Over the course of the next several decades, the 
number of Melillesi who came to call Middletown home grew 
exponentially, forming a tight-knit community in the City's North End. 
As the Melillesi families grew so did their desire to celebrate their 
rich history and tradition. Like in so many other Italian-American 
communities, they did so through the annual religious celebrations of 
the patron saint of their hometown, Saint Sebastian. This small 
neighborhood celebration has since grown into one of the City's most 
well-known and popular annual traditions.
  By 1921, the annual Feast of Saint Sebastian had become a major event 
in the Sicilian community, attracting participants not only from 
Middletown but surrounding towns as well. It was in 1921 that the first 
official feast committee was formed and when the first statue of Saint 
Sebastian, a gift designed and sculpted by local laborer Sebastiano 
Marchese, was presented to the community. It was also from this first 
major Feast and its collection of funds, that the first steps toward 
the creation of the Saint Sebastian Church and Parish were taken. Just 
over a decade later, after approval from the diocese and the purchase 
of properties for the church and rectory, the cornerstone was placed 
and construction of Saint Sebastian Church was completed within a year. 
Today, Saint Sebastian Church, which almost mirrors its companion of 
the same name in Melilli, continues to be the heartbeat of Middletown's 
Italian-American community, and the Feast remains an annual tradition 
that the whole City looks forward to celebrating.
  The Feast of Saint Sebastian, whose festivities now span three days, 
is a celebration of the Melillesi culture. Booths provide food and 
drink, games and carnival rides entertain adults and children, and the 
main stage provides musical entertainment where many gather to sing and 
dance. Special masses are held and upon entering the Church one can 
view the statue of Saint Sebastian, often hearing chants of ``Santo 
Sebastiano'' as those gathered pray to the patron saint. And on the 
Sunday of the Feast, hundreds dressed all in white with red sashes 
attend the ``I Nuri'' running--the procession of Saint Sebastian. It is 
a remarkable sight to behold.
  People across the country struggle to create a sense of community--a 
sense of belonging. Over the course of its one-hundred-year history, 
the Feast of Saint Sebastian has helped the families of Middletown's 
Melillesi immigrants and their descendants do just that. This year, as 
they mark its centennial anniversary, I am proud to stand and extend my 
sincere thanks and appreciation to all of those, past and present, who 
have made the Feast of Saint Sebastian such a special celebration. The 
bonds of community that the Feast has helped to shape will continue to 
impact generations to come.

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